Lights in the Dark
by ncis-lady
Summary: Sandle oneshot after Midnight Talk. When Sara and Greg ate stuck in the Nevada desert, some unexpected things happen.


Lights in the dark

Her lips were soft and tasted like cinnamon. In a weird way this reminded him of his childhood days when he used to bake cookies with his mother at Christmas time. He'd been happy then.

And he was happy now.

They barely touched each other, drowning in the sweet embrace. Her hair was smooth as silk as he felt it beneath his palms. Her breathing sent shivers down his spine.

Then they parted. Her silhouette seemed to have a silvery lining, and for a moment Greg was stunned by what he saw. The whole scenery was so almost unreal that he thought it might as well be a dream.

Sara's sensuous lips were smiling at him, and she squeezed his hand.

"Look at the sky", she said and pointed upwards with her right hand. "Isn't it beautiful?"

There were millions of stars pinned at the black velvet sky, shining down at them and erasing the lights of Las Vegas from their own little world. The air was cold and crystal-clear. The wind softly caressed their bodies and formed a melody in their minds.

He bent forward and kissed her tenderly.

"It's just as beautiful as you."

They remained like this for a moment, so close, skin on skin, breathing in each other's spirit. Tentatively Greg's left hand wandered to her back, feeling every inch of her backbone under his fingers through her shirt. He noticed the goosebumps on her arms and hesitated.

"Are you still cold?", he asked anxiously.

Sara replied with a seducing smile.

"It's not the cold that drives me insane."

"Oh…"

He continued massaging her back and she closed her eyes. Her hands on his hips were like a current pulse making him shiver. She let them crawl underneath his shirt, searching their way up. Her lips found his, and this time their kiss was passionate and hungry. Greg closed his eyes to keep out everything that didn't belong to them, it was only him and Sara and the stars above. They were about to get lost in each other, and Greg never wanted to get back to the place called reality.

Caught by affection and desire, Sara had stopped thinking long ago, letting herself go in this moment of truth. Every part of her was filled with a feeling she thought she'd lost somewhere between her doubts and hate. She held on tight to Greg's body and drew him closer, inhaling his scent and getting drunk by their feverish kiss. His tender hands found their way beneath her shirt and sent hot impulses through her body. They painted invisible circles on her stomach while his lips went deeper to rest on her neck. She moaned quietly, and as she looked up, their eyes met, melting her inside. She was like liquid glass in his hands, and she enjoyed it. Everything was erased from her surrendering mind when her hands stroked his abdominal muscles, then slowly went deeper and…

"Sara!" His voice was breathless as he took her hands.

She stared at him in confusion.

"Sara", Greg repeated. "I… I can't do this."

"Can't do what, Greg? Save me from myself? I know you can." Her words were a whisper, she was hurt, he could tell by her voice and by the way she looked at him. And hadn't he always only wanted to mend her broken heart? Why was he now the one to cause her pain?

"Believe me, Sara, ever since the first moment I saw you I've been dreaming about us being together like this, but… it wouldn't be right now. You're the most honest person I know, and that's only one of your virtues that made me fall in love with you, and it isn't your way to cheat on someone you care about. And you do care about Grissom, you know it. Are you even sure you don't love him?"

He had tried to sound calm, but he couldn't manage to keep up the pretense. It wasn't rage that filled him, though, it was love, a deep, desperate love that hated himself for his words.

"Greg", she said quietly. "I'm sorry… It just – I don't know, I stopped thinking, maybe you're right, I shouldn't… but…" Her incoherent words died away in the wide open of the desert, leaving behind a little girl lost in a deserted life.

She backed away, pulling her knees towards her chest, clutching them almost violently with her white hands. Her body was shaken by shudders as she stared at the starry sky with her eyes wide open.

For an instant Greg thought she would say something as she opened her mouth, but no words came. The place was as silent as a grave, and it made him feel just as numb. He reached out for her hand, but she flinched and he froze.

"Sara, please", he begged. "Let me just…" What was it he wanted? Talk to her? Tell her – what? Touch her? He had touched her, and got burnt. Look into her eyes? To see – what?

"I always knew I'm not good with people", the young woman muttered. "I always do the wrong things at the wrong time, and I don't know why."

"You don't…"

"You said you loved my for my honesty?" She was crying now. "I'm a liar, Greg, I'm a goddamn liar, especially when it comes to me. I'm a coward for not doing what I need to do. I'm a…"

"You're the most wonderful person in the world, Sara. Don't even think about anything different. You're perfect the way you are."

The words had just came out, without thinking. Only the simple truth that had been hidden inside his heart for far too long. Again he reached for her hands, and this time she didn't move. He laid his fingers on her soft skin. Not more, not less, it was a slight touch, but it was enough to catch her from her fall before she hit the ground. Gently he wiped away her tears.

She smiled a little, and Greg would have loved to kiss her right now, but he knew it would be wrong. They had all the time in the world, and he was willing to wait. He had learned something important through the years: no matter how long the dark would surround him, there would always be light someday. It was only a matter of time.

In the distance, they could see the headlights of a van approaching.

"That must be Nick", Sara noticed. She looked at Greg and grinned. "Do I still look like crap?"

He shook hs head.

"You look beautiful. Just amazing."

"I am amazing", she replied, and Greg knew that this time she meant it. It was the moment when they were illuminated with the bright light and their eyes met for the last time this night, that Greg could feel it again. The cinnamon happiness. But this time he didn't remember the past. He dreamed about the future.


End file.
